Technology has developed flat-panel monitors of reasonable size. Monitors of 42 inches or greater diagonal size are not uncommon. These monitors may be for use as television receivers, computer monitors, instrumentation monitors, or the like, and may involve the use of liquid-crystal, plasma, or other display technology known in the art. These monitors can be relatively large, fragile, and expensive.
Additionally, paintings, sculptures, and other objets d'art may be presented for display and/or examination. These objets d'art may be fragile and/or expensive, often priceless.
Hereinafter, the term “monitor” includes, but is not limited to, any relatively large, fragile, and/or expensive flat-panel monitor, arrangement, device, objet d'art, or other object that is intended to be observed, displayed, or otherwise viewed.
Often, monitors are desirable in locations where the use of the monitor may not be straightforward. For example, a monitor may be desirable for use in a bedroom. However, the size and arrangement of the bedroom may be such that there is no convenient wall surface upon which the monitor may be hung that would also provide optimal viewing for occupants of the bedroom, i.e., from the bed. A means of positioning the monitor where viewing is optimized from the bed is therefore desirable.
One suitable position for a bedroom monitor would be at the foot of the bed and positioned at a height where the monitor may readily be viewed by viewer(s) either laying down or sitting up in the bed. This is best accomplished by supporting the monitor from a footboard of the bed or another (free-standing) piece of furniture located at the foot of the bed. Alternatively, the monitor may be suspended from the ceiling. Both these positions leave the monitor exposed when not in use, and generally detract from the appearance of the room.
In a living room or similar general-use area, it may be desirable that a monitor be positioned for convenient viewing by a number of individuals simultaneously, such as by a family or a gathering of friends. In this case, the monitor may conveniently be hung on a wall at an appropriate location. Unfortunately, this leaves the monitor prey to accidental damage by children, pets, or others when not in use. This is a problem, inasmuch as such monitors can be both relatively expensive and fragile. Enclosing the monitor within a hutch or other furniture may protect the monitor from damage when not in use, but occupies valuable floor and wall space.
In a business environment, a monitor may be desirable in a conference room for presentations, internet meetings, and the like. To maintain a given corporate image, considerable care and expense may have been expended on the décor of the room. It would not be desirable for that décor to be altered or marred by the presence of the monitor when not in use. Neither would it enhance a corporate image by having to bring the monitor into the conference room whenever it is needed. It would be desirable, therefore, to have the monitor within a credenza or other piece of furniture located against or mounted upon a wall of the room, that blends with the décor, and from which the monitor may rise as desired. Alternatively, a monitor may be mounted in an interstitial space above a ceiling and descend into the conference room when desired.
In a school, museum, gallery, or other institution, a monitor may serve as a television, video, computer display, or objet d'art for educational, instructional, or display purposes. An additional problem of protection of the monitor itself from potential damage may exist in such locales. This can be a serious problem in that, while large-screen monitors can be expensive, the budgets in such institutions are often severely limited. Protection of the monitor is therefore highly desirable. Again, such protection may be provided by configuring the monitor to rise from a cabinet or descend from a ceiling when needed, and remain safely tucked away when not needed.
It may be desirable to have a monitor in an airplane, on board a ship, in a corporate marketing van or bus, or in/on another suitable vehicle. In these cases, the use of the monitor is subject to all of the problems previously discussed. These problems are often exacerbated by the premium value of floor and wall space in such a vehicle. Additionally, vehicular use may necessitate that the monitor be secured against shifts and swaying due to the movement of the airplane, vessel, or vehicle, whether the monitor is in use or not.
All of the problems discussed hereinbefore may be addressed by a suitable extensible monitor support system. The desired system may be configured to incorporate or be incorporated into a cabinet or credenza from which the monitor would extend upward for use. Alternatively, such a system may be incorporated into a ceiling or soffit so as to blend with the décor of a room when not in use and descend into the room for use.
There have been several prior art variations of extensible monitor support systems. All these systems suffer from one or a combination of excessive size, insufficient strength or rigidity, positional difficulties, and/or inconvenience of use.
Another problem manifests itself in a personal-use environment. The cost of large-screen flat-panel or other monitors may preclude an individual or family from purchasing multiple monitors for use in different locations. Also, vacation homes or cabins are often left unoccupied for long periods of time. It is therefore undesirable to leave an expensive monitor in the vacation home or cabin when unoccupied, as this may be construed as an invitation to burglarize. It is highly desirable, therefore, that a monitor be easily relocatable between a primary residence and a vacation home or cabin, with or without an attendant system. None of the several prior art variations of extensible monitor support systems offer ease of portability.
Additionally, extensible monitor support systems are often housed in (or a part of) a cabinet assembly. Desirably, this cabinet assembly should occupy a minimal amount of floor space to avoid cluttering or dominating a room. This minimal floor space often makes mounting the extensible monitor support system within the cabinet an exercise in contortion, or necessitates the use of special tools. This inability to be easily mounted, and dismounted, reduces significantly the flexibility of the system and impacts directly upon its portability.